1 The companions of Ezra, who returned from Babylon
15 He sends to Iddo for ministers for the temple
21 He keeps a fast
24 He commits the treasures to the custody of the priests
31 From Ahava they come to Jerusalem
33 The treasure is weighed in the temple
36 The commission is delivered

the chief 1:5 1Ch 9:34 24:31 26:32 2Ch 26:12 Ne 7:70,71

genealogy 2:62 1Ch 4:33 9:1

them that went up 7:7,13

2 Of the sons of Phinehas; Gershom: of the sons of Ithamar; Daniel: of the sons of David; Hattush.

Phinehas 1Ch 6:3,4 24:1-6

David 1Ch 3:1,22

3 Of the sons of Shechaniah, of the sons of Pharosh; Zechariah: and with him were reckoned by genealogy of the males an hundred and fifty.

Pharosh (This variation is attributable to the translators; the original being uniformly Parosh.) 2:3 Ne 7:8 10:14

Parosh

4 Of the sons of Pahathmoab; Elihoenai the son of Zerahiah, and with him two hundred males.

Pahath-moab 2:6 Ne 7:11 10:14

5 Of the sons of Shechaniah; the son of Jahaziel, and with him three hundred males.

6 Of the sons also of Adin; Ebed the son of Jonathan, and with him fifty males.

Adin 2:15 Ne 7:20 10:16

7 And of the sons of Elam; Jeshaiah the son of Athaliah, and with him seventy males.

Elam 2:7,31 Ne 7:12,34

8 And of the sons of Shephatiah; Zebadiah the son of Michael, and with him fourscore males.

Shephatiah 2:4 Ne 7:9 11:4

9 Of the sons of Joab; Obadiah the son of Jehiel, and with him two hundred and eighteen males.

Joab 2:6 Ne 7:11

10 And of the sons of Shelomith; the son of Josiphiah, and with him an hundred and threescore males.

11 And of the sons of Bebai; Zechariah the son of Bebai, and with him twenty and eight males.

Bebai 2:11 10:28 Ne 7:16

12 And of the sons of Azgad; Johanan the son of Hakkatan, and with him an hundred and ten males.

Azgad 2:12 Ne 7:17

the son of Hakkatan. or, the youngest son

13 And of the last sons of Adonikam, whose names are these, Eliphelet, Jeiel, and Shemaiah, and with them threescore males.

Adonikam 2:13 Ne 7:18

14 Of the sons also of Bigvai; Uthai, and Zabbud, and with them seventy males.

Bigvai 2:14 Ne 7:19

Zabbud. or, Zaccur, as some read Ne 10:12

15 And I gathered them together to the river that runneth to Ahava; and there abode we in tents three days: and I viewed the people, and the priests, and found there none of the sons of Levi.

the river that runneth (Ahava is supposed to be the river Adiava, which, with the Diava, is said by Ammianus to have given name to Adiabene, a province of Assyria, through which they flowed into the Tigris. These rivers were also called respectively, Anzabas and Zabas, the Caprus and Lycus of Ptolemy; the former of which he places, at its source, in long. 79 deg., lat. 39 1/2 deg., and at its junction with the Tigris, in long. 79 1/2 deg., lat. 36 deg. 6'; and the latter, at its source, in long 78 deg., lat. 39 deg.; and where it falls into the Tigris, in long. 79 deg., lat. 36 1/2 deg. They are now called the Great and Little Zab, or the Zabein, i.e. the two Zabs, which, says Ibn Haukal, 'are considerable streams, each about half as large as the Dejleh (or Tigris). They rise among the mountains of Azerbaijan: of these, the larger is that which runs towards Haditheh. These streams form part of the Tigris, and water the district of Semerah.' Ps 137:1 Eze 1:1 3:15 Ac 16:13

Ahava 21,31

abode. Heb. pitched. and found 2 7:7,24

16 Then sent I for Eliezer, for Ariel, for Shemaiah, and for Elnathan, and for Jarib, and for Elnathan, and for Nathan, and for Zechariah, and for Meshullam, chief men; also for Joiarib, and for Elnathan, men of understanding.

Shemaiah 13 10:21

Nathan 10:39
Zechariah 11

chief men 1

men of understanding 18 1Ki 3:11 1Ch 12:32 26:14 2Ch 2:12 Pr 2:6 20:5 28:2 Da 2:21 2Ti 2:7 1Jo 5:20

17 And I sent them with commandment unto Iddo the chief at the place Casiphia, and I told them what they should say unto Iddo, and to his brethren the Nethinims, at the place Casiphia, that they should bring unto us ministers for the house of our God.

Casiphia (Casiphia is supposed to denote the Caspian mountains, between Media and Hyrcania, near the Caspian Sea. It is evident, from a comparison of ch. 7:9 with ver. 31, that Casiphia could not be far from Ahava.)

I told them. Heb. I put words in their mouth Ex 4:15 De 18:18 2Sa 14:3,19 Jer 1:9 15:19

the Nethinims 2:43,58 7:7

ministers Nu 8:22-26 18:6 1Ch 23:3-6,26-32 Tit 1:5

18 And by the good hand of our God upon us they brought us a man of understanding, of the sons of Mahli, the son of Levi, the son of Israel; and Sherebiah, with his sons and his brethren, eighteen;

by the good hand 22 7:28 Ne 2:8 Pr 3:6

a man of understanding. See on ver. 16 Pr 24:3 Jer 3:15 Da 1:20 1Co 14:20

Mahli Nu 3:20 1Ch 6:19

Sherebiah 24 Ne 8:7 9:4,5 10:12 12:24

19 And Hashabiah, and with him Jeshaiah of the sons of Merari, his brethren and their sons, twenty;

Hashabiah Ne 3:17 10:11

Merari 1Ch 6:1,16,19

20 Also of the Nethinims, whom David and the princes had appointed for the service of the Levites, two hundred and twenty Nethinims: all of them were expressed by name.

Nethinims 17 2:43 7:7 1Ch 9:2

all of them Php 4:3

21 Then I proclaimed a fast there, at the river of Ahava, that we might afflict ourselves before our God, to seek of him a right way for us, and for our little ones, and for all our substance.

I proclaimed Jud 20:26 1Sa 7:6 2Ch 20:3 Joe 1:14 2:12-18 Jon 3:5

afflict ourselves Le 16:29,31 23:29 Isa 58:3,5 Jer 31:8,9 50:4,5

to seek Ps 5:8 107:2-8 143:8-10 Pr 3:6 Isa 30:21 35:8 42:16 49:10 Jer 10:23

for our little ones Nu 14:3,31 Ps 8:2 Mr 10:13-16 Ac 2:39

22 For I was ashamed to require of the king a band of soldiers and horsemen to help us against the enemy in the way: because we had spoken unto the king, saying, The hand of our God is upon all them for good that seek him; but his power and his wrath is against all them that forsake him.

I was ashamed 1Co 9:15 2Co 7:14

The hand 7:6,9,28 1Ch 28:9 2Ch 16:9 Ps 33:18,19 34:15,22 Isa 3:10,11 La 3:25 Ro 8:28 1Pe 3:12

his power and his wrath Jos 23:16 2Ch 15:2 Ps 21:8,9 34:16 90:11 Zep 1:2-6 Heb 10:38 1Pe 3:12

23 So we fasted and besought our God for this: and he was intreated of us.

we fasted Ne 9:1 Es 4:16 Da 9:3 Lu 2:37 Ac 10:30

besought Jer 29:12,13 33:3 50:4,5

and he was intreated 31 De 4:29 1Ch 5:20 2Ch 33:12,13 Ps 66:18-20 Isa 19:22 Jer 29:12,13 Mt 7:7,8

24 Then I separated twelve of the chief of the priests, Sherebiah, Hashabiah, and ten of their brethren with them,

Sherebiah 18,19

25 And weighed unto them the silver, and the gold, and the vessels, even the offering of the house of our God, which the king, and his counsellors, and his lords, and all Israel there present, had offered:

weighed 33 1:8 2Co 8:20,21 Php 4:8

the silver 7:15,16

26 I even weighed unto their hand six hundred and fifty talents of silver, and silver vessels an hundred talents, and of gold an hundred talents;

27 Also twenty basons of gold, of a thousand drams; and two vessels of fine copper, precious as gold.

fine copper. Heb. yellow, or shining brass (The Syriac renders, nechosho korinthyo tovo, 'good Corinthian brass;' so called from the brass found after the burning of Corinth by Lucius Mummius, which was, as is generally supposed, brass, copper, silver, and gold, melted together. Sir J. Chardin, however, in a MS. note, cited by Harmer, mentioned a factitious metal used in the East, and highly esteemed there, which might probably be of an origin as ancient as Ezra. He says, 'I have heard some Dutch gentlemen speak of a metal in the island of Sumatra, and among the Macassars, much more esteemed than gold, which royal personages alone are privileged to wear. It is a mixture, if I remember right, of gold and steel, or copper and steel.' He afterwards added, 'calmbac is the name of this metal, which is composed of gold and copper.')

precious. Heb. desirable La 4:2

28 And I said unto them, Ye are holy unto the LORD; the vessels are holy also; and the silver and the gold are a freewill offering unto the LORD God of your fathers.

Ye are holy Le 21:6-8 De 33:8 Isa 52:11

the vessels 1:7-11 Le 22:2,3 Nu 4:4-15,19,20 7:13,84-88 1Ki 7:48-51 1Ch 23:28 2Ch 24:14

29 Watch ye, and keep them, until ye weigh them before the chief of the priests and the Levites, and chief of the fathers of Israel, at Jerusalem, in the chambers of the house of the LORD.

Watch ye 1Ch 26:20-26 Mr 13:34,35 Ac 20:31 2Ti 4:5

until ye weigh them before 33,34

30 So took the priests and the Levites the weight of the silver, and the gold, and the vessels, to bring them to Jerusalem unto the house of our God.

the house of our God 22 1Ch 29:2,3 Ps 122:9 Isa 60:13

31 Then we departed from the river of Ahava on the twelfth day of the first month, to go unto Jerusalem: and the hand of our God was upon us, and he delivered us from the hand of the enemy, and of such as lay in wait by the way.

the river of Ahava 15,21

the hand 22 7:9,28 Job 5:19-24 Ps 91:9-14 Isa 41:10-14 Ac 25:3 26:22

and he delivered (Ezra and his company had now entered upon a journey of several hundred miles through the desert, which they were nearly four months in completing, encumbered with families and possessions, and carrying large treasures with them, which would invite the attempts of the Arabian hordes, and others, that infested that neighbourhood; yet, having declared to the king, 'that the hand of God was upon all them for good that seek him, and that his power and wrath were against all them that forsook him,' (ver. 22,) he determined to travel without a guard, except that of the Almighty, being ashamed to ask any other, after his former avowed confidence in Him! Having, therefore, humbled themselves before the Lord, and besought his guidance and protection, he was intreated by them, their enemies were restrained or disabled, and they arrived unmolested at Jerusalem.)

32 And we came to Jerusalem, and abode there three days.

7:8,9 Ne 2:11

33 Now on the fourth day was the silver and the gold and the vessels weighed in the house of our God by the hand of Meremoth the son of Uriah the priest; and with him was Eleazar the son of Phinehas; and with them was Jozabad the son of Jeshua, and Noadiah the son of Binnui, Levites;

weighed 26,30 1Ch 28:14-18 2Co 8:20,21

Meremoth Ne 10:5

Uriah Ne 3:4

Urijah. Jozabad Ne 8:7

Binnui Ne 10:9

34 By number and by weight of every one: and all the weight was written at that time.

35 Also the children of those that had been carried away, which were come out of the captivity, offered burnt offerings unto the God of Israel, twelve bullocks for all Israel, ninety and six rams, seventy and seven lambs, twelve he goats for a sin offering: all this was a burnt offering unto the LORD.

offered burnt Le 1:1-17 2Ch 29:31,32 Ps 66:10-15 116:12-19 Lu 1:74,75

twelve bullocks 6:17 Nu 7:27

36 And they delivered the king's commissions unto the king's lieutenants, and to the governors on this side the river: and they furthered the people, and the house of God.

the king's commissions 7:21-24

lieutenants 4:7 5:6

they furthered 6:13 Isa 56:6,7 Ac 18:27 Re 12:16